The coastal districts in north Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha are on alert as cyclone Gulab is set to make landfall on Sunday evening.

The landfall is most likely to occur between Gopalpur and Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh with wind speeds of up to 95 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned. The cyclonic storm is also expected to hit adjoining West Bengal on September 29.

Currently, Cyclone 'Gulab', as named by Pakistan, is about 270 km east-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 330 km east of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the IMD said in its latest update on the cyclonic storm.

Thirteen teams of the NDRF have been deployed in Odisha and five in Andhra Pradesh. At least 15 rescue teams have been deployed in Ganjam alone, reports stated.

Train services on the east coast have been cancelled, diverted or rescheduled as a precautionary measure.

The Odisha government has already initiated evacuation drives in seven identified districts especially Ganjam and Gajapati districts.  

Cyclone 'Gulab' will be the second cyclonic storm to hit Odisha after 'Yaas', which made landfall barely four months ago.